VF 28 Fort Mississauga and the Coloured Corps



Illustration (1897) by Stephen Augustus Heward, courtesy Toronto Public Library
 


 


 


 



Photo: Kirstie Bothwell
 


Rosemary Sadlier, president of the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) from 1993 to 2015, onsite at Fort Mississauga, August 2015 (Photo: David T. Brown).
 


Storeroom built into the star-shaped earthworks of Fort Mississauga (Photo: Kirstie Bothwell)
 


 

You are now on the site of Fort Mississauga, a British fortification dating back to 1814. Primary credit for its construction belongs to Captain Richard Pierpoint and his Black Loyalist colleagues, members of the so-called Coloured Corps. This group of Black militiamen formed on the eve of the War of 1812, when Pierpoint proposed to raise a Corps of men of colour on the Niagara Frontier. A large number of Blacks chose to enter the militia of Upper Canada ever since its inception in 1793, but the Coloured Corps was the first fighting unit composed entirely of black soldiers. Initially, the proposal was rejected by General Issac Brock - but shortly into the war; the British military realized that they would need many more men to resist the very substantial American forces, so the unit was created.




As portrayed in the Historica Canada Heritage Minute profiling his life.
 


 


 


 

Within the British militia, the Coloured Corps faced racism and segregation. They were characterized as worthless and troublesome. Under their racist white leader, Robert Runchey, the black soldiers were effectively demoted to the role of domestic servants to other British soldiers, because they were deemed unfit for general military service.

Although the Coloured Corps made significant efforts in battle, such as the blockade of Fort George and the successful battle of Queenston Heights, they were considered more suited to manual labour by the British authorities. After the Americans attacked and demolished Fort George, Fort Mississauga became crucial in protecting the British from enemies coming up the Niagara River. The Mississauga Point Lighthouse above Mississauga Beach was demolished, and whether it be by default, racist prejudice, or inherent skill, the Coloured Corps were given the labourious task of constructing new fortifications at that strategic location at the mouth of the Niagara River, because the British forces lacked trained engineers.

In 1815, following the signing of the Treaty of Ghent that officially ended the War of 1812, the Company of Coloured Men was disbanded. They were given no recognition and no rewards for their services throughout the war. The efforts of the Coloured Corps were virtually forgotten by the Upper Canadian establishment, and their exploits and activities were grossly under-reported compared to those of their white co-combatants.

 
 

More about Fort Mississauga

With the construction of Fort Niagara on the opposing shoreline of the Niagara Strait the land at Mississauga Point became of great importance. Upon the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1783, the British were ordered to give up Fort Niagara to the Americans. With this at hand, it was important that the British consider creating an opposing structure adjacent to the fort at the current side of Fort Niagara. In 1790, both Major Robert Mathews and Captain John Schank considered this site to be of great value as its soils were perfect for constructed and its landscape was of equal height as the opposing side. However, despite these claims, it was decided that a fort should be constructed above Navy Hall, known today as Fort George. Shortly thereafter, the first lighthouse on Lake Ontario was built in 1804 at Mississauga Point as a result of a recommendation made by the Lighthouse Commissioners. The lighthouse only lasted for approximately ten years when it was later deconstructed to make way for the central tower of Fort Mississauga (Flemming, 1982).

On May 25th, 1813 Fort George was under siege from American forces and didn't withdraw until later in December. This attack proved the weakness of the fort and the need for a new strategic outpost for the British Allies which thereby brought Mississauga Point to attention in order to protect Upper Canada. The plan for construction was devised on July 29th, 1814 using pieces from the deconstructed lighthouse and fragments from the remainder of the town of Newark. However, during the campaign of 1814, the fort was never fully constructed and simply maintained a four foot central tower and the framework for the intended star shaped earthworks. This site at Mississauga point simply offered a strategic area of control for the British allies while they occupied Fort Niagara during 1814. The site of the fort allowed British allies to monitor and prevent ships from entering the Niagara Strait that were intending to provide military supplies and food to the soldiers. It wasn't until the end of the war in 1815 that the construction of Fort Mississauga really began (Flemming, 1982).

During the War of 1812 the fort itself was only four feet tall, and no outside fortifications were constructed due to the constant threat of American attack from Fort Niagara. However, unlike the rest of the construction in Upper Canada, Lieutenant-General Drumond instructed that the fort continue to be completed at the end of the war in 1815. In autumn of 1815, the site was re-contoured to make way for the star shaped earthworks surrounding the central tower. The work was carried out by members of the Coloured Corps, all of whom had developed skills in bricklaying and construction. Building the fort was a slow and grueling task due to the lack of supplies,and the work took significantly longer than first intended. In April of 1816 the central tower stood just nine feet tall, and had yet to be covered by a roof. By 1823, the tower had still not been completed but had a light fabric roof tossed over it, affording some form of protection. This exposure to the elements caused significant damage to the fort and its outbuildings, and by 1825 the majority of buildings on the site were considered to be in such deplorable condition that they would have to be demolished. This, of course, made it difficult to achieve the anticipated capacity of housing 2500 soldiers onsite. By 1838, a gun platform was finally constructed, and it acted as both an offensive tower as well as coverage for the central tower. Finally, by 1839 the finishing touches had been added to the fort' and its construction was completed in its entirety (Flemming, 1982).

- Contributed by Dustin Oostendorp, Autumn 2016

Sources

Flemming, D. (1982). Fort Mississauga (pp. 4-44, 49-88). Ottawa: Parks Canada.

Heward, Stephen Augustus, 1868-1958. Fort Missisauga (1897) (ink sketch). Courtesy Toronto Public Library digital image collection. https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMDC-PICTURES-R-1367&R=DC-PICTURES-R-1367

Historica Canada. 2012. Richard Pierpoint Heritage Minute (video). https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/richard-pierpoint


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